In to the Breach

Players

Summary

To first complete the device designed by brother Tarkus, the party travel in to the firest in search of a Unification mage. Along the way they run in to Mister Scampers, a consumption mage in the body of a monkey, who is fighting a group of possessed villagers. Eventually they find the mage, who turns out to be Quinta Aurelia, an exile from Tovis, who agrees to help them in exchange for a Magisterium sky fortress and its upkeep. Booker stops at his church to ask for anything they may have that might help defeat Andrinavana. They provide a wand that they confiscated off a powerful mage that supposedly contains a powerful ritual.
They return to Acryn and enter Tuireann through the College of the Stars, fighting their way past possessed students and out of control forest. Within the dragon they meet a contingent of Circle of the Broken Wing, sent by Julius Ravensfall to help them, as well as Fiyero and Ryder, followers of the dragonborn Moonless Night, and Willie Alteri’s daughters, Desdemona and Regan. Fiyero and Ryder ask the party to hand over Andrinavana to them alive, so that she might have a chance at redemption. Along the way the party run in to the spirit, Burning Rain, which the Alteri sisters appear to want to capture. Booker tries to execute it before they reach it but it burns itself in to the ground and disappears. The party part ways with the sisters, as the pair pursue the spirit.

The party fight their way through the dragon, guided by Ryder, who is able to detect where Andrinavana’s ritual will occur. Delayed by complications caused by Jimmy apparently trying to kill himself with his own sword and Henry Haldrad being possessed by a mage that lives inside him, the ritual begins. Booker runs ahead and uses the wand to unleash a ritual centred on Giulio Runes, who is being used as the centre of a network of wizard brains by the evil dragonborn. Giulio promptly explodes and a tear opens in what approximates sky in the draconic landscape, from which emerges a dark god that proceeds to attack everything. The explosion destroys every tree in the area, save the dragonborn’s soul. The rest of the party arrive and take down the dragonborn and her minions and eventually the dark god too. Tarkus inserts himself in to the brain network and absorbs knowledge from the brains within it. The party load whatever brains seem to still be alive on to a cart and make their exit. On the way out the party run in to Fiyero and Ryder again and hand them the body and soul fragments of Andrinavna. Fiyero studies Jimmy but judges him to be a disappointing god.

Unfortunately no one seems willing to stay behind in the dragon to activate the device. Just before Samuel moves to sacrifice himself, Jimmy in an act of desperation has Henry slay him with his sword. Jimmy emerges from the sword and calls forth another spirit to activate the device, allowing everyone else to escape Tuireann before the breach closes.

Debrief

Surveying the city from the vantage point of the slowly crumbling tower of Fracturing the party see they did not stop the ritual quite in time. Parts of the city are overrun with wild forest animals and buildings have been ripped apart at the foundations by mighty oaks. Nevertheless Acryn still stands. The party return to meet with Julius Ravensfall and a hopeful looking Leonello Runes. They are paid 100R by the Council, which many of them choose to donate to the rebuilding of the city. They tell Leonello that his brother died a hero, using his magics to their aid. Leonello leaves looking dejected. In the next few days it becomes apparent that whilst about half of the Council hails them as heroes, the other half decries Samuel Skye and Jimmy Hoskins for not doing enough to stop the devastation. Jimmy sets his people to helping rebuilding some of the poorer parts of the city, where his aid is gratefully received. Booker has his church hunt down as many as they can of those still possessed, preferably to save them but also to kill them if necessary. It is likely some are still at large. Henry shows of his prowess leading a contigent of the Circle of the Broken Wing.

The brains of the mages are taken to the Church of the Tender, save for the most potent one which Brother Tarkus takes for himself. Tarkus creates a device to store the brains indefinitely. It takes some time to restore them, as the small number of High Priests of the Tender are mostly distracted helping victims of Andrinavana’s ritual, but over time their bodies are restored. Only about a third of those taken initially have been saved but even so the families of those rescued are grateful.

In the aftermath a number of buildings catch with green fire. Those in the know will be aware that these belong to Willie Alteri and the immortal crime lord himself appears to have gone to ground. Brother Tarkus returns to find Desdemona leading her father’s operations and she explains that Regan has betrayed her father by taking something of the dragon in to herself and now she is attempting to destroy him, claiming she wants to be free. Tarkus agrees Regan should be put down and does repairs to the mechanical parts of Desdemona’s body. He also constructs a new body for the mage brain he retrieved and she seems grateful to have a new and more resilient form, her previous body having failed her.

Leonello Runes withdraws from public life, apparently heartbroken at the loss of his brother, especially his having died without them having a chance to resolve their differences. Giulio’s position in the college remains open until a suitable replacement can be found. The department of Fracturing at the College of the Stars lies in ruins.

Quinta is given control of a captured Magisterium sky fortress and a contribution to its upkeep by the Council. For the time being she is generally friendly towards Acryn.

Consequences

All

Offered 100R by the Council

Brother Tarkus

Magical insight epic tree

An evil cyborg binding mage that is well disposed towards him

You are aware of some of what was missing in your attempt to attain divinity. In particular you feel it may have failed due to your intent to impose your will on the network.

Jimmy

Personal power epic tree

Has lost the Master of Trade Strossborg skill and all associated benefits as they are unwilling to deal with a young god.

Henry Haldrad

May take the first level of training school for free

Having fought inside the belly of a dragon you can draw upon your experiences to strengthen yourself against your enemies. Gain 3 uses of mass strikedown ever.

Samuel Skye

Time travel effects to be confirmed by LARPO

Richter

Having fought inside the belly of a dragon you can draw upon your experiences to strengthen yourself against your enemies. Gain 3 uses of mass strikedown ever.

Booker

May use his tentacle dagger to gain 1 entangle an encounter. The dagger pings divine to anyone with the appropriate skill. Whilst in your possession it also grants access to Holy Crusader: The Eater of Nightmares.